It’s Game Time

I’ve always loved to play games. As a child, I’d list Clue, The Game of Life, and Battleship among my favorites. We spent many hours during the summer and school vacations playing games, and I can’t remember a Christmas in which at least one game didn’t appear under the Christmas tree.

During my teenage years the titles of the games changed. I passed my time trying to fit an x, z, or q on a triple word square to earn extra points in Scrabble or I carefully selected the three cards I’d pass in Hearts to insure that I didn’t let someone make a run and capture all 26 points. My dad, brother, and unsuspecting friends played cards for hours on end. It wasn’t unusual for my mom to go to bed with a whole house full of teenagers playing cards or games on the dining room table just outside her bedroom door.

Trival Pursuit and Backgammon provided entertainment during the next phase of life; and we frequently spread these games out on the picnic table of campsites as we passed our time on camping trips competing with one another between hikes, bike rides, or boating.

Yes, thanks…I’ll play No Thanks again!

Most recently, my son-in-law, Jon has introduced me to a whole new world of games that I never knew existed. I thought I loved games, but the games I played came from Target or Toys R Us. Jon, not only loves games, but he knows games, he researches games, he purchases games at locations other than the traditional places I shop so he has an arsenal of different, interesting games. When he and Meghan visit I can count on a weekend of gaming…not that crazy video gaming…but a weekend of board games. We play games for two, three, or four; but on weekends when a crowd comes to town he brings games for more.

This weekend we started playing a card game, No Thanks, which is described as a “press your luck” game. I proved to be a dismal failure on my first attempt coming in a distant last while Meghan took the victory. Nevertheless, I’ll give it another shot. I’m not one who must win to enjoy a good game.

I claimed the Stone Age title this weekend – 114 points!

Next, we played Stone Age, a worker placement game, in which I found more success. This was my second attempt at this game so I was able to develop a strategy that enabled me to rack up enough victory points to overtake my competition. It had been a long dry spell for me so it felt good to finally get a win.

Meghan and Jon played another worker placement game, Agricola, in which Meghan pulled out a one point victory…a first on this game.

Meghan’s on a roll this weekend – 2 wins!

I’m looking forward to what the final day of their visit will bring. The game bag’s been unpacked…let the game’s begin!

Great variety of games…not those found at Target! Thanks Jon for revitalizing my love of games!